Pneumatic thread holder for weft replenishing looms



Sept. 26, 1944. R. e. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR WEF'I' REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed March 14, 1944 'IF'lIiEnL 11 FI I E Inslemt o 1 Richard 771mm? mm rmey Patented Sept. 26, 1944 OFFICE PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & KnowlesLoom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 14, 1944, Serial N 0. 526,369

6 Claims. (Cl. 139-247) This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic thread holders for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invent tion to construct a thread holder in such'a way that an auxiliary stream of air will move a thread into the main stream of air so that the latter can act properly on the thread.

Heretofore I have constructed thread holders with a thread receiving tube connected to pneumatic mechanism whichcreates subatmospheric pressures for the purpose of drawing threads intothe tube. I have found that if a thread extends along the interior wall of the tube the column of air passing through the tube has little effect on the thread. In order to insure correct .control of the thread the latter must in some way be placed in the stream of air moving into the thread passage.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide an auxiliary air inlet communicating with the thread passage and operating in such manner as to introduce an auxiliary stream of air into the passage which will act to move the thread into the main stream of air moving through the passage. This result may be accomplished by cutting a slot in the bottom of the tube which receives the thread and locating the slot near the bottom of the tube so that the thread which moves down with a bobbin during transfer will lie across a slot and be acted upon by the auxiliary stream of air.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein two forms of thread control mechanism are set forth, p

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the weft replenishing end of a loom showing a thread holder made according to my present invention and applied to the preferred form of thread control mechanism,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2, parts being omitted, and showing the relation of the thread holder and the weft ends extending thereinto prior to a replenishing operation,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing one of the threads in low position and extending across the aforesaid slot,

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing the thread raised due to movement of an auxiliary stream of air into the slot,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing the thread extending across the slotin the thread tube, and

Fig. 7 shows the improved tube applied to a modified form of thread control mechanism.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a loom frame I0, lay H and picking mechanism l2 all of common construction. The shuttle S is shown on the lay under a magazine M containing several bobbins B from which weft ends W extend toward a thread holder designated generally at H.

An air pump I5 is fastened to the loom frame and is operated by a lever l6 attached byconnections not shown to the lay. Leading from the pump is a conduit I1 attached to a cover l8 of a thread collecting unit or accumulator I9. The latter is held on an arm 20 secured to the loom frame in any approved manner. A block 2| extends forwardly from the bottom 22 of the accumulator and has a thread channel 23 therein communicating with the interior of the thread accumulator.

When the loom is running the lay operates on its backward stroke to create subatmospheric pressures within the pump l5 and by reason of the conduit I 1' and the accumulator l9'these pressures also exist in the channel 23. At the time of a replenishing operation one of the bobbins B in the magazine is moved downwardly into the shuttle S and the thread connected to the transferred bobbin will move downwardly and become separated from the group of ends W shown in Fig. 1. This thread is indicated at T in order to distinguish it from the weft threads W.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and may if desired be made as set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,199,354.

In carrying the preferred form of my present invention into effect I provide a tube 30 for receiving the .weft ends W and thread T. The right end of this tube is fitted into and held by the block 2| as at 3|, and the right end of a thread passage 32 in the tube communicates with the channel 23. As theloom operates a stream of air moves into an intake mouth 33 at the left end of the tube, Fig. 3,'and passes through passage 32 and channel 23 to'the accumulator IS. The intake mouth 33 faces the magazine M and receivesthe weft ends W and thread T.

Fig. 3 shows the conditions existing prior to a replenishing operation and indicates that all of the weft ends W enter the top of the intake mouth 33. When a transfer occurs, however, the thread T of the transferred bobbin will become separated from the group at the top of the tube and move down toward the bottom of the latter as indicated in Fig. 4. If the thread T should lie too close to the bottom of the tube 30 the stream of air moving, into the intake mouth will be unable to move the thread through the passage 32 when the thread is cut at the selvage.

It is for the purpose of correcting the last.

named condition that I cut a slot 40 in-the bottom of the tube a short distance from the intake mouth. This slot may extend transversely of the tube and communicates with the interior of the latter, and is also in such position that the thread T will extend across it as shown in Fig. 6.

When a partial vacuum is created in the chan nel 23 a main stream of air, indicated by arrow A, Fig. 5, is drawn into the intake mouth and at the same time a secondary or auxiliary stream of air, indicated by arrowB', Fig.5, is drawn into the slotdll andtends to move upwardly or across the main stream. This auxiliary stream of air lifts the thread T from the bottom of the tube to the position shown in Fig, 5 where it will be in. the main stream A. The thread T thereafter will: be operated upon by the main stream of air and drawn to the accumulator.

In Fig. '7 I show a modified form of thread controlling mechanism for supplying continuous subatmospheric pressures. A pipe Ell-connected to any approved form of pump or fan which will create continuous sub atmospheric pressures hasitsupper end attached to a fitting 51 having a chamber or thread throat 52 therein. The previously describedtube 36 is attached to the upper left end of the fitting 5! in any approved manner. In this modified form of the invention a continuous stream of air is drawn into the intake mouth 33 and through the thread passage 32 to the throat 52- for the purpose of attracting the threads extending from the reserve bobbins. When a transfer occurs a thread T similar to thread T, will tend to move down to the full line position shown in Fig. 7 but will actually be held up in the'd'otted line position by the. auxiliary stream of air.

In one form of the invention IshoW means for producing subatrnospheric pressures intermittently while in the other form these pressures exist continuously, but it is to be understood that the form shown in Fig. 1, for instance, can be utilized with continuoussubatmospheric pressure, while on the other" hand the form shown in Fig. 7 can beconnected to some pneumatic device such as the pump l5 to create intermittent subatmospheric pressures. It is also to be under..- stood that I am not limited in the practice of my invention to the exact form of the opening. 40 shown in tube 3%} for introducing the auxiliary stream. of air. The slot 40. is ofsufficient width to insure location of. the thread. T or T across. it during backward movementv of. the lay. subsequent to transfer.

From the foregoing it will be seen:that I-have provided means by which an auxiliary stream of air can be utilized to move a thread into the main stream of air moving. into a pneumatic thread holder. By the use otthe auxiliary stream. of= air the thread is moved into a more active. part of the main stream of air and the latteris therefore able toremove the thread when itis even:- l

tually cut at the selvage. It will furthermore be seen that the invention can be used either with continuous or intermittent means for creating subatmospheric pressures. Furthermore, it will not be necessary to set the tube with such precision. as has heretofore been necessary.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic thread holder for weft replenishing looms, said holder including a tube having an intake mouth at one end thereof and an. opening communicating with the interior of the tube and spaced from said mouth and across which. the weft end of a transferred bobbin extends, and means to create subatmospheric pressures within said tube to draw a main stream of air into: said mouth and through said tube and draw anauxiliary stream. of air into said openinga" which moves said weft end into said main stream of: air;

2;, In: aweft. replenishing loom having a group of. weft .ends extending from reserve bobbins and a thread extending: from a shuttle, a tube having an. intake mouth into the upper part of which saidweit. ends.- extend, and the tube. having an opening. communicating with the interior of the tube. and inthe lower part thereof spaced from said. mouth and across which said thread extends,.and means to create subatmospheric pressuresiwithin said tube to draw a main stream of air: into said. mouth and through. said tube and draw an: auxiliary stream of air into said tube through said opening which effects movement of said thread into said main stream of air.

3.. lna weft replenishing loom having a group ofi weft ends-extending from reserve bobbins and a thread: extendingfrom a shuttle, a tube having an intake mouth into which said weft ends extend, andthe tube having an opening communicating with the interior of the tube and spaced f'romsaidmouthand weft ends and across which said thread-extends, and means to create subatmospheric pressures within said tube todraW a mai'n streamof air into said mouth and through said-tubeand draw an auxiliary stream of air intosaid-tube through said opening which effects movement of said thread intosaid main stream of air.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a'group 'of weft endsextending from reserve bobbins and a thread extending from a shuttle, a' member having a thread passage therethrough receiving said weft ends and said thread, said member having. an opening therein communicating with said passage and located intermediate the ends ofzsaidpassage and-across which said thread exten'ds;.an'd' means to create subatmospheric pressuresswithin said passage to draw a main stream ofrain: through said passage and draw a secondary stream of 'air through said opening to move the threadintosaid main stream'of air.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a group of. weft ends extending from reserve bobbins and athread extending from a shuttle, a member having a thread'passage therethrough formed with an intake mouth-at one end thereof, said passage and. mouth receiving said weft ends and said thread-g said member having an opening therein communicating with said" passage and spaced fromsaidmouth, said-thread" extending across said opening, and means to create subatmospheric pressures within said passage to draw a primary stream of air into said mouth and through said passage and also draw a secondary stream of air into said opening to move the thread into said primary stream.

6. In a pneumatic thread holder for a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin which is transferred from a group of bobbins into a shuttle during a replenishing operation and 10 moves the weft end thereof downwardly from the weft ends of said group of bobbins, a tube formed with an intake mouth receiving the weft ends of said group and the weft end of the trans- 

